Really can't think of anything I don't like about my trk

 

- Greasable ball joints, U-joints, driveshaft slipjoints, wheel bearings.
- Better shocks
- Real guages
- Better limited slips
- Antilock brakes that don't release pressure incorrectly giving you no brakes.

 

get rid of that hook.

 

The seat belt sucks. I cant count the number of times I have been dejected on my way to changing radio stations or when reaching for an item that has fallen. Passenger belt is just as bad.

Drew

 

>What is the one thing on your Super Duty that you don't
>like,would improve,or would have Ford do differently.
>
>Personally,I believe that this truck could weigh a bit less
>and still be just as tough,reliable and comfortable.
>
>What do you owners think?
>
>I am wanting to keep this in a positive light,and that's the
>motive behind the title.


There are a few things I would improve, weight not being one of them. Might makes right. As a professional car cutter upper at accident scenes, there is allot to be said for the weight, it absorbes allot more impact. (My opinion) Most of the guys at my station are driving SDs, we have seen the light.

I agree with the back seat folding down, and I wish it had a few more gauges for important stuff, like pyro and boost. I have had my 99 for about 6 months, I moved up from an 85 F350 with a 351W, so I am in hog heaven. I hate the cup holder. It isn't very good at holding cups for drinking from. The only use I have for mine is holding my spit can, and it works well for that. Parking lots are a bear, I have learned to back into spots, so I have an easier time pulling out, but I try to remember that the turning is much better than in my 85, and I am driving a truck.

All in all, I am pretty happy, I love my truck. It is comfy, I feel safe in it, and I can look down into cars and see the women in skirts. If I had to chose between giving up BeRT (Big Red Truck), or my guns, I would have to probably shoot ya, and live on the run.

bob

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 26-Nov-02 AT 10:01 AM (EST)]Hey Haroutd, do those PIAA lights require any re-wiring to handle additional amperage, or can the stock harness handle it? And can they be used in conjuction with a brite box? What about the fog lights and reverse lights, is there brighter bulbs available? Or do I have to replace the whole fog light housing?

Thanks for any info,
3MTA3

Sorry Haroutd, I just read the other post where you elaborated on the headlights. Can you shed any light (pun intended) on making the stock fogs and reverse lights broghter?

 

Here's my list.

1- I'd be willing to live with even more added weight if it meant stronger body work. Sneeze on these trucks and you've got a dent. That's unacceptable on a work truck.

2- Rear CC seat should fold down

3- Seat belts drive me nuts, they are WAY too grabby

4- Brakes could definately be stronger. I think the problem is an overactive ABS system.

5- The plain old plastic dash and door panels, and for that matter the entire interior, could use some modernizing. When you're paying almost $50G for a loaded truck, it should come with a nice dash and maybe some carpeting or covers on the doors. These trucks are mobile offices for a lot of people, and it seems like a few small things would add a lot of comfort and class to the truck.

6- More low end grunt out of the V10 (30mpg wouldn't be bad either)

7- Better headlights

8- Sun visors are too small and ineffective

9- Finally, for such a big truck with so much glass, sight lines are terrible. The truck has WAY TO MANY blind spots. The A pillars are huge (for no apparent reason) and hard to see past when turning left. There are huge blind spots to the rear, and like a post yesterday said, the blind area behind the truck when backing up is also huge.

If Ford fixed all that I'd buy another SD, or if they just put some fancy new decals on it and added 10hp.

Waxy

 

1) REAL guages... I like watching engine temp change with thermostat open/close. Also like watching oil pressure change with RPM.

2) One-touch driver AND passenger window down.

3) Rear window defogger

4) Engine hour-meter

5) CC rear seat that folds down

6) Better engine cooling system

7) Better climate control system (no heated vent air!)

8) Better steering in 4x4 models

9) Better brakes

10) Higher weight ratings (GVWR & GCWR)

 

1) Doors that don't collect water where they meet the cab roof. They can freeze shut (not in SC) and every time I open my door after it rains, my seat gets a shower.

2) Roofline / windows that don't drip water directly onto door panel switches.

3) Ditto! Real Gauges.

4) "Manumatic" "tiptronic" "auto-stick" type transmission controls.

5) Less grabby seatbelt (but better too much than not enough)

6) Plastic dash/interior materials that don't melt and get caked with dirt.

7) Better limited slip differential.

8) Less torque converter slip and an auto tranny that is not so eager to downshift. I can hit coast once when my cruise control is set and the torque converter will unlock, the engine revs jump around, and then lock back.

9) Cruise control that works at all speeds including 70 mph without any surge, etc.

 

I hate the cup
>holder. It isn't very good at holding cups for drinking
>from. The only use I have for mine is holding my spit can,
>and it works well for that. Parking lots are a bear, I have
>learned to back into spots, so I have an easier time pulling
>out, but I try to remember that the turning is much better
>than in my 85, and I am driving a truck.
>
>All in all, I am pretty happy, I love my truck. It is comfy,
>I feel safe in it, and I can look down into cars and see the
>women in skirts. If I had to chose between giving up BeRT
>(Big Red Truck), or my guns, I would have to probably shoot
>ya, and live on the run.

Hey Bob, LOL great post! I'll have to say ditto on what he said. Cup holders are not good at holding any containers with any weight, so they are good for spitters. I would have to gripe though, about getting hog tied by the belts when reaching for something abruptly.
Another would be the snugness of the doors on my SC when they are closed. I understand chassis flex but damn.

Hey Haroutd, ditto the other guys question about the upgraded harnesses. Thanks

 

Ditto on the cup holders!!!
Also, I may be just a little compulsive, but my body work alignment was BAD. I finally got everything adjusted...ie. door to fender gap, and door to door gap. It did not take much adjustment and not too much time, but I would think that this should be caught by quality control at the KTP. It is not difficult to achieve at the factory level.....and it makes the price a little more justifiable when you can at least align the dang bodywork!!!!!! It's not rocket science....

 

I can't think of anything that I would change on my truck that I haven't already. One of my favorite things on my truck is there is no carpeting in it. Carpeting in a truck after of a couple of years starts to stink like a wet dog. I love being able to just wipe it clean and it still looks brand new even after coffee has been spilled because of poor cup holders.

This is by far the best truck that I have ever owned.

2000 F350SDXLT,SRW,RC,5spd man,V10, Front Leveling Kit,4.30 gears, 285/75/16 Wild Country, Moon Roof, Tinted Windows, Blacked out Tails

 

>Sorry Haroutd, I just read the other post where you
>elaborated on the headlights. Can you shed any light (pun
>intended) on making the stock fogs and reverse lights
>broghter?

>Hey Haroutd, ditto the other guys question about the
>upgraded harnesses. Thanks

Sorry it took so long to respond guys ; I've been outside prepping for the snow storm we're supposed to get tonight (I can't wait!).

The upgrade for the headlights, fogs, & reverse is a very simple one; just change the bulb. Can't get any easier. From my knowledge of Ford's electrical system, the stock wiring scheme is not ideal, but sufficient to power these lights. You can make them shine a bit more if you re-wire the lights altogether, but it's not really worth the time or expense considering the miniscule improvement. If you REALLY want to spend some serious cash ($500-$600+ just for headlights) they make true HID (High Intensity Discharge) & Xenon light kits. Personally, I like overkill but I couldn't justify dumping that much cash when the PIAA's I put in cost me $80 (you can pick them up online about $60, but I wanted them "NOW" when I saw them at the store). The bulbs I went for come very close to HID lighting at only a fraction of the cost. I like the Xtreme white series because they have a very very slight blue hint to them; not enough to make your truck look like a "ricer" but enough to improve the effectiveness of the illumination.

I haven't tried using them with a brite box, but from a structural standpoint this is no problem. Heat generation is what might kill you, though. I know that PIAA puts a lot more engineering into their lights than the generic Jap Crap high output lights I see at car shows (I've heard stories about melted wires & housings caused by those cheap crappy lights). PIAA is a lot more careful about how hot the bulbs get, but I still wouldn't want to run a brite box with these things for too long on a really hot night. It's worth trying though; setup an experiment -- run the box with the PIAA's for a while on one of those blistering hot evenings. Then pull over, pop your hood, and feel how hot the housing gets. Do a “before” & “after brite box” so you can compare the difference. Then come back and let me know!

As far as the reverse lights go, again no need to upgrade wiring (would be nice, but you won't gain enough for your time & expense). Keep it simple and drop the bulb in. I'm not sure of the model # you would need, though. If you look up the model # of the stock lights, PIAA (http://www.piaa.com) makes a replacement for them in a higher output version. In my post on https://www.ford-trucks.com/dcforum/DCForumID117/4401.html there's more info on the lights as well as a link to a website I found (in my 15 seconds of searching) that has my PIAA 19617 for only $61.90

BTW -- No, I do NOT work for PIAA -- I just think they make good stuff. I like it when the people who make the products I buy put as much thought into them as I do when making my purchasing decision. PIAA has never let me down. Now where's my royalty check?

 

[b]By the way, about the cup holders -- they must have re-designed them for the newer trucks because I just LOVE the ones in my 2002 F-250. There's 2 of them in a little pull-out cubby that hold reasonably well (work great for my big plastic water bottles), and 2 more in the arm rest that have NEVER spilled my coffee. I guess someone at Ford was listening.[b]

 

Thanks Haroutd. The PIAA's are now on my Christmas list! Now if I can just convince Santa that I have been nice this year.:-X12